Heart Attack Treatment

Daniel Lee Kulick, MD, FACC, FSCAI

Dr. Kulick received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Southern California, School of Medicine. He performed his residency in internal medicine at the Harbor-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center and a fellowship in the section of cardiology at the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology.

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack (also known as a myocardial infarction or MI) is the death of heart muscle from the sudden blockage by a blood clot in a coronary artery that supplies blood to the heart. Blockage of a coronary artery deprives the heart muscle of blood and oxygen, causing injury to the heart muscle. Injury to the heart muscle causes chest pain and pressure. If blood flow is not restored within 20 to 40 minutes, irreversible death of the heart muscle will begin to occur. Muscle continues to die for 6 to 8 hours at which time the heart attack usually is "complete." The dead heart muscle is replaced by scar tissue.

Click here to view interactive photos of hearts that have suffered a heart attack.

The primary goal of treatment is to quickly open the blocked artery and restore blood flow to the heart muscle, a process called reperfusion. Once the artery is open, damage to heart muscle ceases, and pain improves. By minimizing the extent of heart muscle damage, early reperfusion preserves the pumping function of the heart. Optimal benefit is obtained if reperfusion can be established within the first 4 to 6 hours of a heart attack. Delay in establishing reperfusion can result in more widespread damage to heart muscle and a greater reduction in the ability of the heart to pump blood. Patients with hearts that are unable to pump sufficient blood develop heart failure, decreased ability to exercise, and abnormal heart rhythms. Thus, the amount of healthy heart muscle remaining after a heart attack is the most important determinant of the future quality of life and longevity.

Heart Attack Treatment Options

What Are Some of the Treatment Options and Guidelines?

Early treatment can prevent or limit damage to the heart muscle. Acting fast,
at the first symptoms of heart attack, can save your life. Medical personnel can
begin diagnosis and treatment even before you get to the hospital.

Certain treatments are usually started right away if a heart attack is
suspected, even before the diagnosis is confirmed. These include:

Oxygen

Aspirin to prevent further blood clotting

Nitroglycerin, to reduce the workload on the heart and improve blood flow
through the coronary arteries

Treatment for chest pain

Once the diagnosis of heart attack is confirmed or strongly suspected,
treatments to try to restore blood flow to the heart are started as soon as
possible. Treatments include drugs such as beta blockers, ACE inhibitors,
and anticoagulants, antiplatelet (aspirin and clopidogrel) and medical
procedures such as angioplasty, coronary artery bypass grafting.

SOURCE: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.com. How Is a Heart Attack Treated?